waistcoat

Everyday

(UK) A short jacket with buttons and no sleeves, worn over a shirt and often under a suit jacket; in the USA and Canada it is called a vest. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, waistcoats are worn with smart suits, at weddings, and as part of some uniforms. In old stories and costumes, gentlemen wear waistcoats with a pocket watch. A "hi-vis waistcoat" or "high-visibility vest" is the bright yellow top for safety near roads. Phrases: "a three-piece suit" (jacket, trousers and waistcoat), "waistcoat pocket".

Examples

• Dad wore a grey waistcoat to my cousin's wedding. tree →
• The White Rabbit took a watch out of his waistcoat pocket. tree →
• The page boy wore a little velvet waistcoat. tree →
• Our crossing guard wears a bright yellow safety waistcoat. tree →
• In the play, I wore a waistcoat and a top hat. tree →
• The waistcoat had six shiny buttons. tree →

Note

Countable. Pronounced WAIST-coat or, more traditionally, WESS-kut. False friend between countries: in the UK a "vest" is a vest worn under a shirt (a singlet in Australia and New Zealand), but in the USA a "vest" is a waistcoat. Spelling: waist (middle of the body), not "waste".